


The Hulk Whisperer

by kookykoi



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Epic Friendship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Rare Pairings, bruce and alison deserve love, let hulk and alison have nice things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 21:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15082499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kookykoi/pseuds/kookykoi
Summary: Alison Blaire, the mutant known as Dazzler, is known for her charm and her flair. When her charm works its spell on not only Bruce Banner but the Hulk too, how will their team mates and friends react?





	1. Fist Bump

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to @brightengale for putting up with me and letting me write these things including her muse!
> 
> This started as a simple one-shot but has now become something else. More to come!
> 
> Things to remember: this will be a mash-up of both 616 and MCU verses; Infinity War didn't happen and the Asgardian refugee ship made it to Norway safely.

"Ball up your fist, like this," Alison said, holding her balled up fist out in front of her at chest height. Hulk frowned at her fist. He had been told so many times not to make fists and not to then smash things with those fists that it was confusing that the pretty blonde lady who shined like a rainbow was now asking him to do this.

Still, he shrugged, balled up his right fist and held it out towards her.

"Good, good," Alison said, beaming a radiant smile at him. "Keep it there for me, nice and still."

Hulk did as he was told. He didn't mind doing what Alison told him to do (most of the time). She was nice to him. She didn't shout at him like the others did. Perhaps if Hulk had a more rational and logical way of thinking about things, he could reason that he gave the others good reason to shout. But his mind didn't work like that. Alison didn't shout. She said things like 'please' and 'thank you' and 'hey Hulk, it's good to see you again!'.

She stepped closer and urged her fist forwards, towards his fist. Hulk tilted his head to one side so he could see what she was doing. She tapped her fist against his and then let her fist relax back into a hand.

"We just fist-bumped!" She declared, her happiness about that making her voice sing. Her aura glowed with pastel colours of the rainbow. This fist-bump was apparently a good thing.

"We did?" Hulk asked. He inspected his fist by bringing it closer to his face. Nothing had changed about it. He shrugged again and held out his fist once more. "One more time."

Alison laughed, the sound of it bubbling out of her. Her aura colours deepened. She performed the fist-bump again and grinned at him. No one else grins at him like Alison does.

\---

A short distance away from the fist-bumping pair was Captain Marvel and Iron Man. They were watching the proceedings with great interest.

"Is she training him?" Carol asked.

"Seems like. It's good, though, don't you think? It means the beast can be tamed." Tony asked his AI to make sure she was recording the exchange between Hulk and Alison so he could show it to Bruce later.

"I guess that means we have someone on the team who can keep him relatively calm," Tony added once the AI confirmed his instruction was being followed.

"I don't think Alison wants to be an Avenger, Stark. And I think her interest in the Hulk stems from genuine affection, she won't want to be another one of your experiments." Carol turned and walked away, wishing to give Alison and her giant green friend some privacy.

Tony tutted his tongue and narrowed his eyes. He sent another instruction to his AI to remind him to discuss the idea of Alison being the team's Hulk tamer with Bruce later on. He fired up his suit's jet and flew off to find the others.

\---

"Fist-bump our thing," Hulk said. He pushed himself up onto his feet. He had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, in among the rumble from the latest Avengers fight. "Hulk won't fist-bump anyone else." He looked around and noticed they were the only two left here. The rest of the team had gone off somewhere else.

"You can fist-bump other people," Alison said. Together, they took a slow stroll through the remains of the Avengers compound. The main building seemed to be unaffected but the buildings that stemmed from it looked worse for wear. Not Hulk's problem.

"No," Hulk insisted. "Hulk only fist-bump his favourite rainbow lady."

Alison laughed, a gentle and warm sound that Hulk liked to hear. "Alright, you said it. The fist-bump is our thing."

Hulk grinned at her. He was pleased to have their fist-bump as their thing. It meant their friendship was sacred. Hulk didn't have a lot of friends. In fact he could count all of his friends on one hand. Most of the Avengers only liked him when he was smashing things they wanted him to smash. They didn't like him otherwise. Not like Alison who wanted to fist-bump him. Yes, Hulk liked Alison as his friend and she liked him too. They were friends. That mattered a lot to Hulk.


	2. Other Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce doesn't like how Tony spied on Alison and Hulk's quiet moment and he doesn't like the idea of using Alison as a Hulk 'whisperer'. But what other choices are there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @brightengale for reading through this and giving me feedback <3

"You did what?" Bruce snapped out the words but bit back the urge to follow them up by slamming his fist down on the table or throwing his half-empty cup across the room. Instead he reverted to one of his techniques to relax and let his anger ebb away. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with the bottom hem of his shirt. 

"I was doing it for your own good," Tony claimed.

His claim nearly made Bruce crack the lens in his glasses. "Don't use that excuse on me, Tony. Just don't."

"Listen. Blaire is able to keep the green guy on the level and I thought you'd want proof of that. Plus, if you can talk her into it, she can join the team and-"

"And what, Tony?" Bruce put his glasses back on and folded his arms on chest. His fingers gripped the sleeves of his shirt, threatening to tear the material. "Use her as a Hulk Whisperer?"

"Say that like it's a bad thing, Banner. We both know the Hulkbuster suit can only do so much. Alison in the Hulkbuster suit can do more."

Bruce shook his head and walked away from Tony. Bruce saw that Tony had good intentions; he wanted to keep civilians safe and if the Avengers wanted Hulk to be a part of the team, then they needed guarantees that the Hulk could be prevented from harming civilians.

But what Bruce objected to was Tony's methods. First he filmed Hulk and Alison share a tender moment without their consent. Then he used that footage to strong-arm Bruce into using Alison.

"Bruce, come back here. We haven't finished discussing this!" Tony called out after him. 

"We have for now," Bruce called back. He left the lab and slammed the door behind him. The door stayed on its hinges, just. 

Bruce wanted to talk to Alison about this but he needed to be calmer before he did so. He stomped through the corridors of the main Avengers Compound building until he reached the exit that led to a green. Bruce took himself out into the middle of it and sat down. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

He managed to lose track of time as he meditated. His anger didn't disappear completely, it never did, but he was able to think in a more clearer manner. Yes, having a Hulk Whisperer on the team would be a good thing. But not Alison.

Bruce wanted to keep Alison separate from the Avengers. She already had enough drama going on in her life from the X-Men side of things without the Avengers' drama adding to it. Plus there were the romantic feelings Bruce had for her. Using Alison to control Hulk felt like a cheap trick. Not the kind of thing you'd pull when you love someone.

"Banner?" Thor's deep rumbling voice broke Bruce's meditation. Bruce breathed easy that it was Thor approaching and not Tony; he wasn't ready for round two yet.

"Hey Thor, how's it going?"

The thunder god nodded as he sat on the grass next to Bruce. "Aye, it's going good, I think. My people are settled in what you refer to as Norway and I am about to embark on a tour of the Nine Realms and ensure peace reigns." Thor nodded with an air of satisfaction before he gave Bruce a concerned look. "How about you? You look troubled."

Bruce gave a quiet chuckle. "When am I not troubled?"

Thor's concerned expression shifted into a knowing kind of smile. "When you're with the one known as Dazzler," he said. He nudged Bruce with his elbow. "Unless she is the cause of your troubles this time?"

Bruce explained what had happened. Thor's concerned expression returned.

"But Alison isn't the only one who can speak to Hulk in such manner," Thor noted.

"Who else is there?" Bruce asked.

Thor rubbed his chin with his fingers before holding his hand out in front of him, ready to count. "Me. Hulk and I connected during our time on Sakaar after all. Valkyrie, because the two of them share a lot of anger. Alison, for previous reasons already discussed." Thor paused and frowned as he tried to think of more names. "What I'm trying to say is that Alison isn't the only option. Valkyrie will be remaining here with our people as their protector. I can command her to be on hand for Hulk whispering duties whenever required as part of her remit. Plus I think she'd like the opportunity to see the big guy again."

Bruce shook his head but he was touched that Thor was willing to offer alternatives.

Thor grabbed Bruce's shoulder and squeezed as gently as an overly affectionate Asgardian King could manage. "Discuss this with Alison before you decide how to act. And don't let Stark get the better of you."

"Thanks, Thor," Bruce said. He patted Thor's large hand that was still squeezing his shoulder. "I'll call her."


	3. Don't Push

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Alison sit down to talk about her friendship with the Hulk and what that might mean for their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @brightengale for her continuing support and valued input. I'm really excited about how this is shaping up.

The silence between them was stifling. Bruce picked up a paper napkin and began folding it again and again as a way of keeping his hands busy. He glanced at Alison and winced at the expression she was wearing: her eyebrows were drawn in together, a red blush bloomed in her cheeks, her lips were pressed into a thin line, her fingertips drumming an erratic rhythm on the table.

"I'm sorry," Bruce offered, needing one of them to say something.

Alison snorted through her nostrils and shook her head. "I don't want an apology from you, Bruce. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I feel like I do," Bruce said, one shoulder shrugging. He was always sorry for something; had been since a young child. "Tony, in his own deluded way, was only trying to help."

Alison snorted again. This time, she stood up and walked away from the table they had been sitting at. They were in Alison's penthouse apartment in New York. Rather than discussing what had happened with Tony over the phone, Bruce thought it best to do so face-to-face. 

"Does that man know anything about privacy and respecting others' right to it?" Alison asked. She went to the fridge and took out a bottle of white wine. 

"I can't answer that," Bruce replied. Alison poured out two glasses of wine and brought them over to the table. One went in front of Bruce while she kept the other for herself.

"And why is he so keen on controlling Hulk?"

"Maybe because Hulk has a habit of breaking expensive and precious things?" Bruce tried to laugh at his own joke but Alison gave him a glare that suggested that this was no time for jokes, good or bad.

"Instead of trying to control Hulk, why doesn't he try to foster a relationship with him? Why doesn't Tony be the so-called Hulk   
Whisperer? Why does he wait until someone else shows the initiative?"

Bruce wasn't able to answer Alison's questions and considering bad jokes at Hulk's expense were out of the question, Bruce stayed silent. He unhelpfully shrugged both of his shoulders and looked down at the napkin he had been working on.

The napkin couldn't be folded any more so instead Bruce began tearing it into small squares. He left the wine Alison had provided untouched. Wine and most other alcoholic drinks made his stomach feel queasy. He hadn't been able to get drunk since before he created the Hulk.

Alison sighed out. She drank some of her wine and deposited the glass to the side. She reached across the table and took Bruce's hands in hers. "Bruce, look at me." She had give his hands a slight tug to make him look up. "Leaving Tony's bullshit out of this for now, I don't want to try and control Hulk. To me, that's like trying to control anyone else on the team, taking away their free will-"

"But everyone else isn't fueled by rage like he is," Bruce interrupted.

"Not when he's with me. And like you said, Thor and Valkyrie can vouch for that too."

Bruce shook his head. "The guy is a nightmare. Alright, he's my nightmare, but if he’s not controlled, he can hurt a lot of people. I can't   
have that happen."

"I can't be there every time Hulk comes out to play," Alison said. Her thumbs rubbed over his knuckles. "I have other responsibilities. I have other duties. Maybe I'll be in the right place at the right time but there's no guarantees."

Bruce looked down at their hands. He released his grip on the napkin, letting what was left of it fall, so he could lace his fingers with hers.

"I'm not asking you to do anything you're not able to do. And neither will Tony. If he does, I'll talk to him. And I won't ever ask you to give up responsibilities for me or the Other Guy. Whatever is going on with you and Hulk, just let it happen. Don't think about this Hulk whispering stuff. I'm sorry I even brought it up."

"Bruce-"

He held up his hand to show he wasn't done talking yet. He took a breath in. "And whatever is happening between us, I don't wanna lose it. I like it. More than like it. I like you. And I hope you like me too. Please, don't let this push you away from me. I'll do enough pushing of my own probably, but please, don't let this push us apart now."

Bruce couldn't bear to look at Alison now. His nerves felt exposed and his heart thumped inside of his chest, making the space around it feel too small to hold it.

"Bruce," she said, her voice impossibly soft and silky. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her standing and walking around the table. He had to look at her when she sat herself in his lap, his eyes going wide. She cupped his face with her hands and her lips met with his. "I like you too, you adorable nerd you."

Bruce huffed out a laugh. He let his arms wrap loosely around her waist. "Thank you."


	4. Smashing Tantrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hulk is loose and having one hell of a tantrum. Dazzler isn't available to calm him down. Who else can help?

Hulk's roar ripped through the air. The screams of innocent civilians replied, causing Tony Stark to wince. Fortunately for him, his armour prevented the civilians from seeing his soured expression. "Everyone, stay calm. The Hulk won't hurt you."

"Hulk wanna smash!" Hulk roared again. Tony ushered the civilians further away from the green beast so that when Hulk smashed the side of a building, no one got hurt.

"Can someone get Dazzler here, like now?" Tony said into his comms.

"She's on X-Men business in Genosha. If anyone is going to handle the Hulk, it has to be one of us," Carol Danvers barked back via the comms. Again, Tony winced.

"She should be here. She's the only one who can handle him," Tony said. He ensured the civilians were back far enough to stay out of Hulk's path before flying back to where Hulk was smashing things up.

"I've called in Valkyrie. She's on her way." Carol was already on the ground and trying to keep Hulk contained to one area. Tony landed not far away from her, ready to flank Hulk's other side.

"What can she do? She doesn't make Hulk calm; she fires him up. Makes him wanna fight more while she drinks all of my booze."

"Shut up, Tin Man!" Hulk threw a torn up half of a car at Tony. "Too much yapping!"

Carol snorted. "He has a point, you know."

"You're not helping, Danvers."

"Hulk angry!" Hulk stomped his feet, causing cracks to open up across the concrete road.

"I know, buddy, I know. We wanna help you," Carol tried.

"You're not Hulk's buddy. Hulk's buddy is the rainbow lady!"

"Told you we needed Dazzler," Tony chided over the comms.

"Now who's not helping?" Carol snapped back.

Hulk picked up the other half of the torn up car, ready to propel it at either the tin-can man or the bossy blonde lady (he hadn't decided who his next target will be yet) when a torrent of rainbow coloured light shot downwards from the sky, hitting the ground a few feet away from Hulk's side. Hulk squinted at the centre of the light, seeing a figure appear there.

"Hey Big Guy," Valkyrie said with a smile as she stepped out of the Bifrost energy.

"Angry Girl!" Hulk cheered. He dropped the half-car and bounded over to one of his most favourite of people. Angry Girl was one of Hulk's very few friends. Hulk didn't trust Tin-can Man or the bossy blonde lady but he trusted Angry Girl.

"What have you been up to?" Valkyrie asked. She stood before Hulk, looking up at him with her hands on her hips.

"Winning!" Hulk declared, just like he used to back on Sakaar (damn it, he missed that place!).

"This doesn't look much like winning to me," Valkyrie said. She surveyed the damage Hulk had caused during his latest tantrum.

"Look harder." Hulk pouted. He wanted Angry Girl to join in with the smashing.

"Can you make him behave please?" Stark shouted out, still keeping his distance. "Or do I have to call in the Hulkbuster?"

Valkyrie snorted and rolled her eyes. "No one can make Hulk do anything. You should know that already," she shouted back at him. Hulk laughed.

"Can you ask him nicely to stop smashing and throwing things then?" Stark asked.

Again, Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you ask him that already?"

"I tried, he didn't listen."

"Is that true?" Valkyrie turned her attention back to Hulk. 

Hulk sat down on the ground and shrugged his huge shoulders. "Maybe."

"C'mon, Big Guy. I know it's fun to wreck things. I love it nearly as much as you," Valkyrie said. She gave him a punch to the knee that made Hulk chuckle. "But when these guys ask you to stop, you gotta stop."

"Hulk don't like them. Hulk only like you and the rainbow lady. Hulk only listen to you and her."

"Is that so? Well, in that case, please can you stop destroying things here and come home? Maybe we can find something there to smash instead?"

“Hulk likes to smash,” Hulk said with a grin. He got to his feet. “Angry Girl lead the way.”

“Just like that, he obeys her,” Tony noted.

“It’s not about obeying or commanding,” Carol said. “She asked nicely, Hulk agreed. Alison made a similar point, if you remember. Hulk isn’t to be controlled, but he can be bargained with.”

Tony watched as Hulk followed Valkyrie away from the damage and destruction. The pair of them were laughing about something. Valkyrie punched Hulk’s arm, Hulk shoved her, gently for Hulk, back. Something in Tony’s mind began to piece a puzzle together. His pride prevented him from agreeing with Carol, but maybe she, and Alison, actually had a point?


	5. Monster Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dangerous monster is attacking the city. Hulk has to stop it.

What used to be the side of a building raced through the air and slammed into the monster. The monster, which was a tall as the buildings that surrounded it, laughed. The laugh came out of its two heads because as if that was going to be enough to stop its journey of destruction. The monster's laugh died when something else laughed back. Normally, the monster's prey screamed at it, begged it for mercy. They never laughed. 

Through the dust clouds caused by the monster battle, a giant green shape came roaring towards the monster. Both of the monster's heads tilted to one side in wonder. It had never seen anything like it before. It only realised a moment too late that the green shape was going to collide with it. It tried to raise two of its four arms to protect itself from the collision but the green thing smashed into it with enough force to make it stagger backwards.

"Hulk smash!" The green thing roared. The monster tried swatting the thing off of it but it was no use. It didn't help that the green thing kept laughing at it. While the green thing did not compare much in height compared to the towering monster, it make up for that in sheer determination to ruin the monster's plans.

Another war cry ripped through the air, just as the green thing made its fist hit one of the monster's chins hard enough to shatter the bone. The monster yelped out in pain and frustration. Then an even smaller shape was flying towards it. This one looked human and was holding two swords in it's puny hands. The green thing cheered for the tiny human. "Angry Girl, go low. Hulk go high!"

The tiny human, Angry Girl, followed her colleague's instructions and indeed went low. The swords Angry Girl wielded became a metallic blur as they whirled through the air and then made contact with the monster's right leg. The monster felt its scales being hacked at. It was about to reach down with one of its arms to flick Angry Girl away from it when the green thing drove it's fist into it's broken chin again. The monster roared in agony and the green thing, Hulk, laughed.

The monster flailed its arms around, trying to swat both Hulk and Angry Girl from its body. In its confusion, the monster staggered from side to side and ended up colliding with another building. The monster tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain and misery. This wasn't the glorious victory it wanted. This was the opposite, in fact!

The Hulk crawled up so it could be face to face with the monster. The Hulk's face split into an ugly, smug smile. "You lose," Hulk said. "Hulk win!" 

The Angry Girl had managed to cause a split between the monster's scales and she drove her sword into the weak spot. The monster howled as the steel of the sword ripped through skin and muscle. Hulk clenched his hands together and raised them up over his head. He let out a roar as he brought his clenched fists downwards, smashing the monster between the eyes. As one head lost consciousness, Hulk struck the other head with just as much force. The second head tried to bite the Hulk but two more powerful blows from the Hulk caused darkness to close in and send the monster spiraling into uneasy unconsciousness.

As the monster's body began to swoon downwards, the hard light hologram began to flicker. All of the surrounding buildings flickered too. Hulk could see through the buildings at the grey walls of the Danger Room beyond them. The simulation was over.

"Hulk wanna go again!" Hulk bellowed. 

To his left, a door opened in one of the grey walls and Rainbow Lady came through it, followed by the annoying Tin Can Man. They were talking about something as they walked towards the Hulk.

"-the Danger Room has many capabilities can help with training and helping Hulk have some fun without causing costly damage to public property," Rainbow Lady was saying before she turned her attention to Hulk. She gave him a huge smile. "You did good, big guy. You defeated the monster."

"I helped," Angry Girl said. She joined them and patted Hulk on the arm. "But to be fair, you did most of the work." Angry Girl winked at both Hulk and Rainbow Girl before leading Tin Can Man out, saying something to him about his booze stash.

"Hulk wanna go again," Hulk demanded, although he didn't shout it this time. Rainbow Lady was much closer now and she had asked Hulk not to shout at her.

"Sorry, buddy," she said, looking sad, "but we have to let the X-Men use this room now. They need to train."

"Hulk help train!" He grinned.

"Maybe another time?" Rainbow Lady took hold of one of Hulk's fingers, like she was trying to hold his hand. She gently coaxed Hulk towards the exit. 

Hulk pouted but didn't resist Rainbow Lady's lead. "Next time, Hulk train X-Men to defeat monster."

"You sure will. And hopefully Tony will design and build a Danger Room of your very own. One you don't have to share."

Hulk stopped pouting. He dared to smile. "Hulk like that. Hulk will share it with you. No one else. Except Angry Girl."

"I appreciate that, Hulk. Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this being a day late. Blame real life!
> 
> I had fun with this chapter and I hope you have fun reading it!


End file.
